Nearly 78% of sites using CiviCRM are on either version 4.6 or 4.7 (check out CiviCRM stats online). Why is that significant? Because those are the only two community supported releases currently. If you’re not on one of these versions, most importantly, don’t be alarmed. There might be a reason you’re not… perhaps you’re using a partner that continues to support an previous version, or have customizations that prohibit an upgrade. If that’s the case, feel free to skip the rest of this post. But, if there’s no good reason not to upgrade, then read on.
What do we mean when we say that 4.6 and 4.7 are the only versions being supported? Well, just that. CiviCRM 4.7 is the latest stable version of the software and is the primary focus of the Core Team. Version 4.6 is the current LTS, meaning that security updates (but not new features) will be back ported to it for a not-yet-determined amount of time. If you’re on any other version, then you’re on an unsupported version and are encouraged to upgrade. You might see a message in-app in the coming days or weeks to this effect.
We’re here to help
Let’s face it, lots of sites haven’t upgraded because it can be a pain, because it’s downright scary, or likely a combination of both. To help, we’ve established a group of trusted partners that can assist in the process via a low cost upgrade service if you need. If you are currently using a service provider to manage your installation, please contact them directly to ensure that you’re using the proper version of CiviCRM.
The upgrade process for CiviCRM has only gotten better, however we do recognize that it can present a challenge. Nonetheless we encourage you to make the commitment to upgrade on your own, via the service offered, or through your provider. In any case, support is always available on Stack Exchange if you need help. Likewise, the community is online at http://chat.civicrm.org if you want to jump in for some quick feedback.
